Of course things will boost the Wii U; nothing is going to boost it out of third place, but it can and will get hardware bumps when major games come out. Just because they're locked into third place doesn't mean profiting off hardware isn't a priority.

Except that barely anyone cares about it, unlike TLG

True, but that's partly their fault for giving us nothing to go on. :p

Metroid isn't a big franchise, hate to break it you. Could barely scrape past 1 million even on the 100 million selling Wii. It's small potatoes if we're talking sales. 

Metroid Other M barely scraped passed a million cos, well, it's crap, and reviled by fans.

Metroid's value lies less in moving software and more about appealing to core gamers and diversifying Wii U's lineup. Of course, it doesn't have to be Metroid, that was just one example. But it should at least be something with ambition and a non-kiddy image. Diddy Kong Racing, as well as being superfluous, would only reinforce the perception that Nintendo only makes games for children.

Metroid Prime 3 is much closer to 2 million than it is to one million lol.

And Metroid Prime sold nearly 3 million on the GC which puts it in the top ten.

2D Metroid games are probably cheap to make and also sell well.

And since we haven't seen a real Metroid game since 2007 people are desperate for a new one which means sales could be higher again (there were a lot of Metroid games during the GC and Wii era, probably too many. I can think of 2 games I'd rather not have seen released). We all know the Wii's userbase means jack shit when it comes to games like Metroid. The Last of Us wouldn't even have reached a million if it was on the Wii.

Have they really not said anything about it?

Metroid Prime 3 didn't sell great on the Wii, that was the game I was referencing.  

It's just not a franchise the "dudebros" crowd cares about. Too slow, cerebral, not enough shooting/killing/explosions. 

Nintendo is a kid-centric company, a Metroid game is not going to change that image. 

Besides Diddy Kong Racing was a lot of fun. I wouldn't have an issue if they are making Diddy Kong Racing U. 

Wii U is what it is, nothing is changing/altering its situation at this point. 

Prime 3 didn't "barely scrape passed million", it sold closer to 2 million. And not all core gamers are dudebros, there is still a market for more cerebral games.

Whether it's fun or not is irrelevant, I am speaking commercially here. Nintendo's image is not set in stone, it shifts contantly, and the backlash from Retro spending their first HD gen making only cartoon games would not make them look good. Appealing only to their established audience with safe games will kill Nintendo in the long run, expansion of the audience is the only way to remain relevant.

I wouldn't sulk if it was F-zero or a 3D DK game. I would be pretty stoked if it was a new IP. But deep in my heart, I hope and wish it will be Metroid.